Car-coupling



(No Model.)

S; J.. MEEKBR.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 538,338. Patented A r. so, 1895.

z uonms PETERS no. PHo'rouma, wpsumo'mu u c Wnesses UNITED STATESPATENT. QFFICEQ STEPHEN J. MEEKER, or NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of. Letters Patent No. 538,338, dated April30, 1895.

Application filed December 29, 1893- Serial No. 495,055. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN'J. MEEKER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of Newark, county of Essex, and State of NewJersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplers, ofwhich the following description, taken in connection with the drawingsherewith accompanying, is a specification. 4

My invention relates to the uncoupling mechanism for carcouplers, andhas for its object to provide a simple and positively operating deviceor mechanism for operating the knuckle locking device with which thecoupler is provided, which is more especially adapted for use inconnection with couplers on passenger cars, although it may beapplicable to any style of car. I The invention consists in theconstruction and combination of parts as will hereinafter be set forthin detail and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a horizontalsectional view of aconpler provided with my improved uncouplingmechanism. Fig.2 represents afront view of the same, with the draw-headpartly in section; and Fig. 3 represents a sectional view of thecoupler, with the knuckle re moved, through line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

To explain in detaiL-a represents a section of a car-platform; b, acar-coupler in position beneath the same; b, the horizontally rotatinghook or knuckle, and c the vertically movable locking-pin for lockingthe knuckle in a closed position. In order to operate or raise thislocking-pin from its position in engagement with the knuckle to allowthe latter to be opened, and according to my present invention, Iprovide a short arm or lever d which is pivotally connected at one endwith a stud or projection 6' located within the draw-head, and at itsopposite free end extends within an opening or depression 0' formed inone side of the locking-pin which is adapted to receive the same. Thislever cl is operated to raise the connecting-pin c by means of anelbowlever c which is also pivotally supported upon a stud or projection(2' located within the draw-head,' with one end having connectionwiththe lever d and its opposite end connecting with a rod f which isconnected with the ordinary vertically arrangedpivotedoperating lever gsecured upon the platform of the car. That end of the lever d whichconnects or engages with the locking-pin, moving in the arc of a circle,necessarily has a horizontal movement in its relation to the pin whenoperated to raise the latter, and in order to obviate anyfriction thatmight be caused by such movement and to otherwise facilitate theoperation of the parts, I have provided said lever with anantifriction-roll d supported thereby, which is adapted to traverse thewall of the opening in the pin horizontally, as will bereadilyunderstood.

\ The connection between the elbow-lever e and the lever 61, in order toallow for the respective movements of the same, is secured in thepresent instance shown, by means of an elongated slot or opening dformed in the le ver CZ into which the connecting end of the lever eextends and operates, and the latter is provided with an anti-frictionroll e thereon having a rounded or curved surface adapted for traversingthe walls of said opening with a minimum degree of friction. Theopposite end or arm of the elbow lever e has aloose connection with theconnecting rod f of the operating lever g, in a manner to moveindependently of the same in one direction as will hereinafter be setforth, by means of a longitudinal slot or opening f formed in the rod finto which the end of the lever 6 extends. When the lever g is operatedin one direction to raise the locking-pin in order to permit the openingof the knuckle and disconnection of the cars, the elbow lever e isengaged and operated by the connecting rodf to secure such result, andwhen the pin is thus raised it is adapted to be supported upon the innerarm of the knuckle or otherwise until the latter has been closed, atwhich time the pin automatically drops into position to lock the knucklein the usual manner. After the pin has been raised by thelever g andintermediate mechanism as described andsupported in its raised position,the lever g falls or is moved back to its normal position and theconnecting rod f thereby moved from engagement with the connecting armof the elbow lever. The locking pin is then free to automatically dropinto position to lock the knuckle when the latter is closed, as will bereadily undererating lever g and the rod f or at some other 1 suitablepoint to secure a like result; and the particular manner of connectionbetween the several operating parts might also be more or less modifiedwithout departing from the spirit of my invention;

Another feature of my invention also consists in the manner ofsupporting the levers d and e in their relation to each other'and thepin 0, whereby the combined weight of said levers operates upon the pinc to insure its dropping into position when the knuckle is moved fromunder "the same.

Having thus set forth my invention; what Patent of the United States,ifs-' 1. The combination with the locking-pin or I device of acar-coupler, of a device or lnhanisni for operating the same, consistingof a pivoted elbow-lever having connection with i said pin through themedium of a connecting i ing of a pivoted lever conncting with said pinanelbow-lever connecting with said pivotedle'ver, and an operating leverhaving connection with said elbow-lever in a manner whereby the lattermay be moved thereby in one direction, and have an independent movementin the opposite direction, substantially as described and for thepurpose set forth.

3. The combination with the locking-pin or "device of a car-coupler, ofa device or mechanism for operating the same, consisting of a pivotedlever having connection at one end ;with the locking-pin and providedwith an opening therein, an elbow-lever provided at one end with ananti-friction roll thereon which extends and operates within the opening in said pivoted lever, and means for operating said elbbw lever",substantially as described and for the pi'irp'o'se set forth.

4'. The combination withthe locking-pin or device of a car-coupler, of adevice or mechanism for operating the same, consisting of a pivotedelbow-lever having connection at one end with said pin through themedium of a connecting lever, and a pivoted operating 1ever having aloose connection with said e1- bow-lever through the medium ofa'con'necting rod in a manner substantially as described and for thepurpose set forth.

STEPHEN J. MEEKER.

Attest:

A. L. HAYES, CHAS. F. DANE.

